Introducing Learner Autonomy in a University English Course

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1 Aki Iimuro and Maiko Berger Abstract This paper reports on the attempt to develop autonomous learning skills of introductory-level students at a Japanese university through a general English language course. The authors developed a syllabus for a course that employed various methods in order to boost the students autonomous learning skills and English competencies over the semester of four months. Questionnaires were conducted after every spring semester across three years to seek student opinions towards this systematized implementation of autonomous learning. In addition, a focus group interview was conducted after the second year to triangulate the data. Findings showed the majority of the students expressing positive attitudes towards the system. Students reported improvement in language skills, motivation, and study habits. Further improvements are suggested in the evaluation system and individual advising. Key terms: learner autonomy; autonomous learners; self-access learning center; learner attitude; learner training 1. Learner Autonomy 1.1 Definition of Learner Autonomy Learner autonomy is defined in various terms by many researchers, sometimes with conflicting ideologies (Oxford, 2003). It is therefore difficult to arrive at a single definition of terms such as autonomy or autonomous learners. Holec (1981, p.3) defines autonomy as the ability to take charge of one s own learning, which is considered by some as more effective than other approaches to learning (Naiman, Frohlich, Stern, & Todesco, 1978). Autonomous learning is known to not only allow learners to cater the learning content and speed to their own needs but also motivate learning, and thus lead to greater language learning (Dickinson, 1995; Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998). Oxford (2003, p ) offers a useful model to understand different versions of learner autonomy, which are: Technical perspective: focus on the physical situation Psychological perspective: focus on characteristics of learners Sociocultural perspective: focus on mediated learning Political-critical perspective: focus on ideologies, access, and power structures In this study, the definition of learner autonomy is closely related to the psychological perspective, in which we identify learning strategies such as self-evaluation, organization, goal-setting, planning, information-seeking, record-keeping, self-monitoring (Oxford, 2003, p. 84). As teachers, we see the advantages of a psychological perspective as identified by Oxford (2003) and Benson (1997) and to have learners take responsibility for their learning and to become effective language learners. 1.2 Need for a Guided Autonomy This concept of learner autonomy, originated in Western culture (Palfreyman, 2003), is said to have become global (Schmenk, 2005). The authors, however, do not believe this notion is widespread in the Japanese school system yet, especially in the field of foreign language teaching. Traditionally, Japanese students are considered to be passive and dependent on teachers (Dore & Seko, 1989). In addition, students tend to have little contact with English outside of class. In recent years, students in general are exhibiting lower academic achievement, especially since the introduction of low-pressure education (Tsuneyoshi, 2004, p. 367) or yutori education manifested by the Ministry of Education. In other words, we consider learner autonomy as a capacity, which our students will need 127

2 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 to acquire through the course of study. Autonomy is often associated with a technological perspective such as computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as well as self-access language centers (SALC) (Schmenk, 2005). Nevertheless, these are not enough for students to become life-long autonomous learners, especially because learning languages in principle is a social activity (Schmenk, 2005, p. 112). Independent learning programs without the direct link with core English classes are found to be less effective (Lee, 1998), because only students who are already highly motivated will make use of resources such as SALC. In addition, Lee (1998) also maintains that a certain degree of learner training is necessary before students can really become responsible learners. 1.3 Aim of the Study Sinclair (1999, p. 310) defines autonomy as being self-directed, however suggests that students capacity to make informed decisions should be developed through the help of a teacher. Cotterall (2000) also argues that incorporating principles of learner autonomy is deemed important, yet few have reported classroom-based courses that integrate principles with practice. One of the significant aims of our paper is to provide a case for incorporating principles of learner autonomy into the design of a language course. We believe that language competence develops from working on both assignments given by the teacher and also working independently on specific individual needs. In addition, students need to acquire a study habit and become autonomous learners. Since the concept of learner autonomy (Holec, 1981) is still new and foreign to many of the Japanese students at this university, it was decided to include autonomous learning as part of the language course assignment called Self-study. By doing so, it was believed that the course could function as a means of nurturing autonomous learners who will keep studying for their own language development after the course period or even after their university studies have been completed. 2. Teaching Context 2.1 English Courses at the University The university where the study is based is an international, private university in southern Japan where foreign students from almost one hundred countries and regions come and study together. English courses at the university are streamed according to the placement test result using the TOEFL Paper Based Test (PBT). Students must complete 20 credits of content lecture classes in English in order to graduate. Therefore, English language courses are designed to prepare students for English lectures, using a four skills integrated approach, and with an English only policy in the classrooms. Most of the students take two four-credit courses each semester, each of which meets four days a week for 15 weeks. In total, students are given instructions over 120 hours in four months. 2.2 Introduction to English Course The study took place in the course titled Introduction to English, which is the lowest level English course of the five-level English program at the university. After successfully completing this course, students progress to higher courses focused more on academic English skills. The main objectives of this course were to gain basic grammar and vocabulary in the skills-integrated course using two textbooks, web contents, and supplementary materials such as news articles. Classes of 95 minutes long were conducted four days a week. Compared with the intermediate English classes, which students will later progress to, the classroom contact hour is halved. Therefore, the course coordinators (i.e., the authors) felt the strong need to incorporate self-access learning outside class time. 2.3 Background of Students Students who are enrolled in the Introduction to English course and participated in this study are predominantly first year Japanese students at the university. Their TOEFL (PBT) scores ranged between 310 and 399. On top of the general tendency of Japanese to be passive learners (Dore & Seko, 1989), the students who enrolled in the university after 2008 are of the so-called yutori generation (Tsuneyoshi, 2004). It means that while they were learning at primary and secondary schools, the educational contents were greatly reduced and the international competitiveness in math, science and language learning among children is said to have 128

3 declined (Tsuneyoshi, 2004). From the authors observations, these students in general seem to lack creativity and spontaneity, even though they are surrounded by rich resources and a variety of means to learn languages on their own. 3. Implementing Self-study 3.1 Objective of Self-study The authors developed an assignment, Self-study, for the course to integrate autonomous learning aspects, and included it as part of course evaluation. The goal of this assignment is to nurture autonomous learners who will keep studying for their own language development even after the course period. We believe that language competence comes not only from working on assignments given by the teacher but also from working independently on specific individual needs. As Lee (1998) points out, students success depends heavily on their efforts to engage with the target language outside the classroom. Students enrolled in the Introduction to English course are expected to be able to satisfy the following seven points through this Self-study assignment. 1. Develop their own English study goals and plans; 2. Work towards their own goals and plans; 3. Use time outside of class; 4. Be responsible for their own study; 5. Find study materials suited to their needs; 6. Go to the SALC; 7. Consult the teacher or English Advisor (in the SALC) on their study when help is needed. 3.2 Materials and Procedures These expectations were to be met through use of the following materials and procedures. Mainly four materials were used for the Self-study assignment. Goal Setting Handout Study Log Study Points Chart Notebook and/or binder Furthermore, using the above materials, the procedures for introducing and completing the assignment took the following five steps. 1. Evaluate own needs and set study goals 2. Develop own study plans and find study materials 3. Set study plans for every week 4. Complete English activities and submit a weekly progress report with completed work 5. Repeat 3~4 for the semester During the first week of each semester, the idea of autonomous learning is introduced. The teacher explains the importance of autonomous learning and the reason why it is being incorporated into the course. Using a worksheet, students then work on setting their study goals and making study plans for the semester. Students start by evaluating their English language needs and why they are studying English. Students are asked their long-term goals and short-term goals, and how they might use English in their future careers and in their studies at university (Appendix A). Although this process is difficult for some freshmen students, it supports students in thinking of the reason for studying which leads to motivation, which, according to Spratt, Humphreys, and Chan (2002), influences how ready learners are to learn autonomously. In the same worksheet, students then narrow down their goals by evaluating what language skills they need to develop in order to reach their goals. For instance, students who wish to study abroad during their undergraduate study will need to achieve a certain TOEFL score, thus they may want to develop their academic lexicon. Students however will often show a logic gap between their 129

4 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 larger language goals and their smaller skills goals. In these cases, the teacher will consult and provide assistance in re-evaluating the students skills goals. This teacher support is a crucial factor for developing autonomy (Lee, 1998). Students will then further narrow down their goals to create achievable plans for the semester. For instance, the student who wishes to develop their academic lexicon may set a goal to memorize the meaning of 500 academic words and be able to use them in a sentence. Finally, students will think of and find appropriate study materials that could be used in executing their plans. At this point, teachers introduce possible study materials available on campus, on line, or at bookstores. Students are also encouraged to use textbooks used at previous institutions, such as high school, if they plan to review basic English grammar rules or vocabulary. This process will take more than one lesson period or extra one-on-one advising time, since students have to find the right material that will help them complete their plans and achieve their goals. From the second week of the semester, after students have completed setting their goals and plans, and have found the appropriate study materials, they will start executing their study plans. On the Study Log handout, students are asked to keep a record of what they plan to do for the week, and what they actually studied. Writing is an important factor in developing language awareness (Schweinhorst, 2003), and this was intended for students to notice and self-monitor their studies and be able to reflect on their study patterns and accomplishments afterwards. At the beginning of each week, teachers collected the Study Log and proofs of study, such as notebooks. The teacher then provided feedback on student work. The content of the feedback would vary depending on the students goals. For instance, if a student was writing a diary every day in order to improve writing fluency, the teacher would read and write comments on the content. However, if the student was writing a diary in order to improve grammar use, the teacher would provide feedback on grammatical errors. Students continue this process every week to the end of the 15-week semester. During the first semester this assignment was implemented, students received points based on the hours spent on independent study. However, at the end of the semester, some students commented on how some classmates were being dishonest with the reporting on the Study Log. Therefore, a Study Points Chart was created based on past activities that were often done by the students. Activities included vocabulary study, extensive reading, and speaking with teaching assistants at the SALC. Points for each activity differed depending on how much time and effort was estimated to be necessary in completing the activity. Students who wished to do activities which were not on the chart were able to consult with the teacher and agree upon the amount of points to be awarded towards the proposed activity. Students were then required to complete 10 points worth of activities every week, which counted towards 5% of their final grade. 4. Student Work At the end of each semester, a variety of work was produced by students, including diary writing, vocabulary and grammar study, extensive reading and listening, and preparation for standardized tests such as TOEFL or TOEIC. The overall reactions from the students were positive and many exceeded teachers expectations. Some students studied more than the required 10 points every week. Students who had clear and specific goals were able to identify study materials and utilize them in a way that matched their needs, and continued using them throughout the semester. Examples include a translation workbook for a translation certificate examination, a grammar workbook for junior high school students for review, and online listening websites to improve listening. However, despite the variety of needs and goals the students individually identified, and the opportunity to select their own materials, a few students seemed to lack the ability and the understanding of this project in finding the right material for themselves. Of these, many were found to be using materials provided or prepared by the teacher, such as the vocabulary textbook, grammar handouts, and newspaper articles. This tendency of the student being teacher reliant can be observed through the questionnaire results shown in the following section. Furthermore, a few students would never submit their work throughout the semester. This 130

5 suggests the need to further specify students study goals early in the semester. Furthermore, this suggests the need for individual advising in selecting study materials which matches the students needs and goals while not spoon feeding students so as to develop an autonomous learning attitude. 5. Student Feedback 5.1 Usefulness of Self-study In order to understand students perceptions of this newly implemented project and to further improve the implementation and execution process, student questionnaires were conducted after each semester (Appendix B & C). In this study, questionnaires from spring semesters between 2008 and 2010 were used, as the majority of students take this class in the spring semester every year. Furthermore, a focus group interview of four students was conducted to triangulate the data (Appendix D). Questionnaires and interview data were collected in Japanese in order to avoid any misunderstandings. At the end of the spring 2008 semester, 224 students completed the questionnaire. For the question, Self-study was useful when studying English, 84 students answered Agree, 88 students Somewhat Agree which combined accounts for approximately 77% of the students who completed the questionnaire. 37 (16.5%) selected Somewhat Disagree and 15 (6.7%) selected Disagree. At the end of the spring 2009 semester of the following year, 199 students completed the questionnaire. Among them, for the same question, 97 students answered Agree and 77 students answered Somewhat Agree. Together this accounts for approximately 87% of the total number of students who completed the questionnaire. 18 (9%) selected Somewhat Disagree and seven (3.5%) selected Disagree. Furthermore, at the end of the spring 2010 semester, of the 187 students who completed the questionnaire, 105 students answered Agree and 58 students answered Somewhat Agree. This represents approximately 87% of the students. 17 (9.1%) selected Somewhat Disagree and seven (3.7%) selected Disagree. From the questionnaire results, we can observe a large increase between 2008 and 2009 of the students who felt Self-study helping them study English. Furthermore, there is a gradual increase of those who selected Agree from 2008 to 2010 (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Self-study was useful when studying English 131

6 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 This can be interpreted as the Self-study assignment and the concept of the autonomous learner gradually becoming accepted by the students. In addition, from this assignment, the majority of the students realized the usefulness of studying towards individual needs and goals. Although the teachers perspectives were not incorporated into this study, we can speculate from the students answers that the objectives and procedures of Self-study were better transmitted to the students by the teachers throughout the years and students were able to engage with the materials more smoothly. 5.2 Benefits of Self-study For the spring 2009 and 2010 semesters, additional questions were asked to seek students opinions about Self-study and how they might change it if possible. As reflected in the above-mentioned question, the majority of the comments were positive in both years. Three trends were found among the positive feedback from the students; improvement in language skills, gaining a study habit, and increase in motivation. Students who commented on their improvement in language skills wrote comments such as the following: I wasn t good at writing. But from writing diaries and opinions of movies, little by little I got better at writing in English. I m glad I did Self-study every week. I was able to memorize many vocabulary words. Other common comments were similar to the following which expressed the usefulness of Self-study in improving their language skills. I think I was able to think what to do and study towards improving my weak areas. It can be understood from these comments that students who were able to identify their weak areas and work towards improving them were actually able to experience learning. Especially for lower-level or low motivated students, the sense of improvement and the experience of success are important in motivating them to continue studying. By providing an opportunity for students to experience their improvement besides tests or quizzes, we believe autonomous learning is valuable for their future studies. Many commented on their change of study habits. Some examples include the following: I gained a study habit. I noticed the importance of studying every day. I will continue to study more. Common comments were also found from the interview. One participant mentioned, I didn t have a study habit when I was in high school, but I learned the importance of studying continuously. Another participant mentioned she would continue studying by herself the following semester. As mentioned previously, with the yutori education in Japan, students who are entering university now have less experience being given homework every day, let alone studying every day by themselves. Nevertheless, through periodical monitoring, students were able to experience studying on a consistent basis. Moreover, this project was successful in having students notice the importance of studying consistently and getting accustomed to it. The third commonality found in the comments can be associated with motivation. I think it is very good because it gives us the opportunity to continue studying English. It s usually difficult to continue studying, but since we had to show someone, I was able to do Self-study every week. This was also found from the interview. Participants commented; It encouraged me if I did it. If I didn t study, there would be a blank (on the log sheet) and I found myself feeling impatient. I think it was good to keep a record. I felt encouraged, and thanks to this ( Self-study ) I think I was able to improve (my English). Periodic monitoring and feedback by the teacher were found to encourage students to continue and complete their work every week. Autonomous learning in theory suggests studying should be done fully by the learner and not monitored or assessed. However, as seen from the questionnaire and interview results, it is apparent that students were able to notice the importance and the benefit of 132

7 autonomous learning in improving their English skills and gaining a study habit through systematizing the project as a course requirement. The above results suggests that providing a system where the teacher monitors their progress may be more beneficial for low level students who have less experience studying in general and in motivating students to consistently and continuously study. 5.3 Discussion Majority of the students felt Self-study being beneficial towards their English learning. However, not all comments were positive. Three types of comments were common which should be considered when implementing and further developing a new syllabus such as this one introduced in this study. The first type of negative comments was towards the 10-point system. As mentioned previously, from the first semester Self-study was implemented, the system was changed from a time reporting system to a point system where students would work towards gaining 10 points every week. Some comments include: It was difficult to achieve the 10 points. I was only working towards the 10 points, and there wasn t much content. Since the points were determined by the assumed time that would be spent and the level of difficulty of each activity, students who studied vocabulary words may have ended up spending more time than they would have completing a single listening activity. However, from the interview, all students had positive attitudes towards the point system. Students said the following: The more I studied the more my work got accounted for, and it was good that I can see what I had accomplished. It was good that I could see my progress. I got motivated seeing my points go up and down. Students had the freedom to negotiate with their teacher regarding their study plan and number of points. Furthermore, some students reported the 10 points being too easy to achieve. Therefore, this not only suggests revisiting the point chart, but also for students to build a study plan that is meaningful for them early on in the semester. The second type of comment was related more to individual learning attitudes rather than to the Self-study system per se. Some comments include: I wanted the teacher to give us homework rather than doing Self-study. I can t continue. Too much workload. From these comments we can clearly see the low motivated passive learning attitude some students have. One student mentioned how they did not receive homework at high school and felt it was difficult to complete all of the homework required in this English course. This suggests the need of some support provided by the teacher, such as providing grammar review handouts. What is more, this also strengthens our argument for the need to support students in gaining a study habit and building the mind of an autonomous learner in order to learn how to study even after they finish the required English courses. The final type of comments from the questionnaire showed regret, for example: I should have studied harder. I should have planned out my self-study more carefully. In the interview, all of the participants agreed that they felt regret if they did not study. From these comments we can say that the project was successful in building students critical awareness of their own language needs and study progress. Students also commented that it is beneficial for them to set their own goals, but they would forget them right way. It is therefore important for teachers to remind students of their goals and plans. Having students evaluate their own work, revisit their goals and plans at the mid-point of the semester, and have them create new plans for the remainder of the semester would be effective for students with weak study plans or for those who have forgotten their goals. 133

8 Polyglossia Volume 19, October Conclusion Overall, the syllabus introducing learner autonomy through implementing a guided study in the curriculum was successful. It was successful in motivating students to continuously study to achieve the language skills and study habit. Even students who had difficulty continuing studying by themselves found the Self-study system beneficial in gaining a study habit. Thus, this type of guided autonomous learning syllabus is successful, especially in developing learner autonomy in the Psychological perspective (Oxford, 2003). However, space for improvement was also found, especially with the points chart and student support. First, revising the points chart by incorporating the students perspective is one possibility to improve the points system. At the beginning of the semester, teachers could allow students to vote on the activity and the points based on how much time and effort it may require. This process of negotiating the points would be beneficial in building a consensus between the teacher and the students. Second and most importantly is the need to support students in setting specific goals early in the semester, and supporting them in finding the most suitable study method. Furthermore, guidance over study materials, available resources, and methods could be given by providing various examples of study methods and materials. Although much of this is done already, one-on-one individual academic advising to seek and elicit individual needs, and periodically revising the goals and plans would greatly increase student motivation and productivity. Moreover, advising students in trialing different methods until they find one that is comfortable for them would benefit those with less study experience or passive learning attitudes. Since autonomous learning is also an individualized learning system, individual support in meeting the various needs is necessary. People do not become good language learners in a day. However, with a little guidance from teachers, and with the persistent effort of the learner, we believe teachers can foster good language learners who are able to find and utilize all the resources available to them and continue to improve their language abilities. References Benson, P. (1997). The philosophy and politics of learner autonomy. In P. Benson & P. Voller (Eds.), Autonomy and independence in language learning. (pp ). London: Longman. Benson, P. (2000). Autonomy as a learners and teachers right. In B. Sinclair, I. McGrath, & T. Lamb (Eds.) Learner autonomy, teacher autonomy: Future directions. (pp ) London: Longman. Cotterall, S. (2000). Promoting learner autonomy through the curriculum: principles for designing language courses. ELT Journal, 54(2), Dore, R. P. and Sako, M. (1989). How the Japanese learn to work. London: Routledge. Dickinson, L. (1995). Autonomy and motivation: A literature review. System, 23, Dörnyei, Z. and Csizér, K. (1998). Ten commandments for motivating language learners: Results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research, 2, Gardner, D. and Miller, L. (1999). Establishing self-access. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon. (First published 1979, Strasbourg: Council of Europe) Lee, I. (1998). Supporting greater autonomy in language learning. ELT Journal, 52(4), Naiman, N., Frohlich, M., Stern, H., and Todesco, A. (1978). The Good Language Learner. Research in Education Series 7. Toronto: OISE Press. Oxford, R. (2003). Toward a more systematic model of L2 learner autonomy. In Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives. (pp ). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 134

9 Palfreyman, D. (2003). Introduction: Culture and learner autonomy. In D. Palfreyman & R.C. Smith, (Eds.) Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives. (pp. 1-19). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Palfreyman, D. & R. C. (Eds.) (2003). Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Schmenk, B. (2005). Globalizing learner autonomy. TESOL Quarterly, 39(1), Schweinhorst, K. (2003). Neither here nor there? Learner autonomy and intercultural factors in CALL environments. In D. Palfreyman, & R.C. Smith, (Eds.) Learner autonomy across cultures: Language education perspectives. (pp ) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Spratt, M., Humphreys, G., and Chan, V. (2002). Autonomy and motivation: Which comes first? Language Teaching Research, 6(3), Tsuneyoshi, R. (2004). Japanese educational reforms and the achievement crisis debate. Educational Policy, 18, Waite, S. (1994). Low-resourced self-access with EAP in the developing world: the great enabler? ELT Journal, 48(3),

10 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 Appendix A Goal Setting Handout 136

11 Appendix B Introduction to English End of Semester Survey (Spring 2008) We would like to use the result of this questionnaire to improve Introduction to English course. Please tell us your candid opinions. 1. Please choose your class. 2. How was the speed of your class? too slow a little slow adequate a little too fast too fast 3. Did the following materials/ tests help your English study? agree somewhat disagree disagree somewhat agree Textbook (World View 3) Workbook Word Power 1500 Weekly vocabulary quizzes Student Times newspaper Self-study 4. How difficult were the following materials/ tests? too easy easy appropriate difficult too difficult Textbook (World View 3) Workbook Student Times newspaper Word Power 1500 Weekly vocabulary quizzes Speaking tests Mid-term/ final tests 5. World View Which sections in the textbook help your English study? very useful useful not useful not useful at all Vocabulary 137

12 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 Grammar Pronunciation Listening Reading Speaking Writing 6 Please write your comments on the lessons or materials if any. 138

13 Appendix C Introduction to English End of Semester Survey (Spring 2009 & 2010) We would like to use the result of this questionnaire to improve Introduction to English course. Please tell us your candid opinions. 1. Please choose your class. 2. How was the speed of your class? too slow a little slow adequate a little too fast too fast 3. Did the following materials/ tests help your English study? agree somewhat disagree disagree somewhat agree Textbook (World View 3) Workbook Word Power 1500 Weekly vocabulary quizzes Student Times newspaper Self-study 4. How difficult were the following materials/ tests? too easy easy appropriate difficult too difficult Textbook (World View 3) Workbook Student Times newspaper Word Power 1500 Weekly vocabulary quizzes Speaking tests Mid-term/ final tests 5. World View Which sections in the textbook help your English study? very useful useful not useful not useful at all Vocabulary 139

14 Polyglossia Volume 19, October 2010 Grammar Pronunciation Listening Reading Speaking Writing 6. Self-study What did you think about Self-study? 7. Self-study If you were to modify Self-study, how would you change? Why? 8. Please write your comments on the lessons or materials if any. 140

15 Appendix D Interview Questions About Self-study Goals and Plans 1. (How did you feel about making your study plans at the beginning of the semester?) 2. 4 (Were you able to study as you planned?) About Self-study log sheet 3. (What did you do for your Self-study) 4. (Were you able to study every week as planned?) 5. (How would you evaluate your Self-study work?) 6. (What do you think about the point system?) 7. (Do you have any requests on the teacher s feedback?) Opinions about Self-study 8. (What do you think about recording your study for 4 months? Pros and cons?) 9. (Do you think you will study on your own next semester and beyond?) 10. (Do you think other English courses should give credit towards Self-study?) 141